Lord Foster has said that he would consider designing a nuclear power station, despite his practice’s reluctance to join EDF Energy’s design framework

Speaking at the sidelines of last week’s World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, Foster told Building: “We’re open to offers. We haven’t closed any doors.”

It emerged last month that Foster + Partners and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners had turned down the chance to apply to be on the design framework for nuclear power stations being set up by EDF Energy.

Rogers’ reluctance to join the framework is based on ethical grounds, but Foster said he had no such opposition to nuclear power.

He said: “I think future energy supplies have to be based on sustainable technology and clean energy sources. Politically, we need to have the initiatives to develop and research that. Meanwhile, because those initiatives have not taken place, you need to look at all the possibilities, whether nuclear or otherwise.”

You need to look at all the possibilities, whether nuclear or otherwise

Lord Foster

Foster’s practice has designed the masterplan for Masdar, a development in Abu Dhabi that will be devoted to the research and testing of environmental technology. Gerard Evenden, the partner in charge of the scheme, has described it as “the Silicon Valley of sustainability”.

Foster declined to comment on why the practice had not applied for EDF Energy’s framework. He said: “It wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss our relationships with our clients.”

EDF wants to build at least four nuclear plants in the UK, with the first operational by 2017. The French firm agreed last month to buy nuclear operator British Energy in a £12.5bn deal.

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